Baked Stuffed Peppers with Hash Browns
Baked stuffed peppers with hash browns are a delightful twist on the classic stuffed pepper.
- 10-11 smaller bell peppers
- 4-5 large potatoes (about 2lbs/ 900g) (Russett, Yukon Gold, or similar; avoid fingerling and young potatoes; peeled)
- 2-3 carrots (medium; peeled)
- 2-3 yellow onions (or white; avoid red onions; peeled)
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil (or sunflower or avocado oil; avoid olive oil)
- 2 tablespoons Vegeta (or 1-2 tablespoons vegetable stock, 1 bouillon, or 1-2 tablespoons seasoned salt)
- ground pepper to taste (we recommend 1 teaspoon)
- salt to taste (only if you don't find Vegeta savory enough)
- 1/2 cup to 1 cup water
- (Optional) 1-2 cups sour cream (or thick plain yogurt such as Greek)
- (Optional) 1 teaspoon garlic powder (mixed into the sour cream)
- Wash and decore the peppers. You can use a knife, or push the stem in with your thumb, and then slowly pull it out and discard. Wash out the seeds keeping the pepper intact. Repeat for all peppers.
- In a large bowl, grate potatoes, onions and carrots. Squeeze the mixture in batches as much as you can to get all the liquid and starch out. Transfer to another bowl. Repeat (squeeze everything twice and discard the liquid).
- Add seasonings to the stuffing. Mix everything until the ingredients integrate really well. Give the stuffing a little taste to see if the seasonings are to your liking (enough salt, pepper, etc.). Now choose which way you want to make the peppers.
- Heat oven to 485°F/ 250°C.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of oil to the stuffing, and mix well once more. Stuff each pepper with several teaspoons of the stuffing, or until they are filled to the top. Transfer them to a well-oiled baking pan. Dab with oil on top, and (optionally) add 1/2-1 cup water to the pan. If there is more stuffing left, add it to the pan in between the peppers.
- Bake for 25 minutes. They will blush on top. Flip them around and bake for another 25-30 minutes. Check on them a few times during baking. If they're blushing too much, lower the temperature to 430°F/ 220°C, (or even 400°F/ 200°C if your oven runs hot). You can cover them with parchment paper too, and bake a few additional minutes.
- In a large frying pan heat 2 tablespoons of oil on high. Transfer 1/2 (or 1/3) of the stuffing and fry on one side for about 10 minutes. Don't stir. Flip to the other side and fry for another 8-10 minutes. (You can fry the stuffing to your liking, but don't overdo it as it'll still bake for another hour in the oven.) Transfer to a plate so it can cool. Repeat until you fry all the stuffing. The second (and third) batches will take less time to fry. Meanwhile, heat oven to 485°F/ 250°C.
- Using a small teaspoon, stuff each pepper with several teaspoons of the hash brown stuffing, or until they are filled to the top. (Watch your fingers as the stuffing will be hot.) Transfer them to a well-oiled baking pan. Dab with oil on top, and (optionally) add 1/2-1 cup water to the pan. If there is more stuffing left, add it to the pan in between the peppers.
- Bake for 25 minutes. They will blush on top. Flip them around and bake for another 25-30 minutes. Check on them a few times during baking. If they're blushing too much, lower the temperature to 430°F/ 220°C, (or even 400°F/ 200°C if your oven runs hot). You can cover them with parchment paper too, and bake a few additional minutes.
- (Optional) Mix sour cream and garlic powder and pour over the peppers as you serve them.
- Serve stuffed peppers with hash browns with bread (it's especially tasty to dip it into the fat peppers baked in). A side salad like shopska compliments them perfectly. Consider adding a protein side. It's best to serve these on the same day they're made. Store the leftovers by letting them cool, cover them with foil, and transfer them to the fridge for up to 24 hours. (Discard after that period!) Reheat using your preferred heating method.
Pepper and potato flavors accented with spices - and then baked - complement each other perfectly! Shall we?
Background
Today's dish - baked stuffed peppers with hash browns - is similar to our vegetarian stuffed peppers. However, this time we grated the stuffing, added carrots, and gave the mixture a quick fry before filling the peppers with it.
The peppers are both incredible and versatile! They can be a side or a standalone course.
They're the ultimate vegetarian recipe or a meat lover's delight (just add something like ground beef patties). Moreover, hash browns stuffed peppers are incredibly savory with sweet undertones.
You just can't go wrong with these!
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients for our peppers with hash browns stuffing:
- Peppers: smaller bell peppers, European sweet peppers, sweet Italian peppers, capsicum, or local peppers called babure or šilje. The best peppers to stuff are on the sweeter side, smaller, and approximately the same size. Avoid green bell peppers (bitter and sour).
- Onions: white or yellow. Avoid red.
- Potatoes: look for starchy potatoes like Russet or Yukon Gold. Avoid red potatoes and fingerlings.
- Oil: sunflower, vegetable, avocado, coconut oil or lard. Avoid olive oil.
- Seasonings: salt and pepper are the basics. Substitute salt with Vegeta, vegetable stock powder, or bouillon.
- Carrots.
Instructions
Here are easy instructions for our peppers with hash browns stuffing: Step 1.
Grate onion, potato, and carrot. Squeeze the liquid out.
Mix and add seasonings. (If skipping the frying step, go directly to step 3.) Step 2.
Fry the stuffing in batches. Step 3. Stuff the peppers (use a teaspoon).
Transfer to an oiled pan. Dab lightly with oil. (Optional) add a cup of water.
Step 4. Bake for 25 minutes. Flip the peppers around.
Bake for another 25-30 minutes. Baked stuffed peppers with hash browns are now done.
Handling
- serve stuffed peppers with hash browns with bread (it's especially tasty to dip it into the fat peppers baked in), and a dollop of sour cream (if desired). A side salad like shopska compliments them perfectly. Consider adding a protein side.